France

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

Calais, France, is last stop for many migrants fleeing war-torn Africa and Middle East in hopes of reaching Britain; migrants, undeterred by injury or deaths of others, make several daily attempts to forge through the Channel Tunnel to England. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

The search giant said it would not comply with French demands to apply a European data protection ruling to its global domains. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Stream of migrants, fleeing war and poverty created by numerous conflicts in Africa and Middle East, have flooded Europe, with thousands making daily attempts to cross from France to Britain through the Channel Tunnel; European Union members, criticizing each other for their role in crisis, plan emergency talks for more robust remedy. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visits Iran to forge closer economic and political ties; receives warm welcome despite being criticized there during nuclear pact talks for urging country to make more concessions so sanctions could be lifted. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Segolene Royal, French senior cabinet minister and former romantic partner of French Pres Francois Hollande, is back in corridors of power as unofficial vice-president and first lady; has been appointed minister for ecology, sustainable development and energy, and often accompanies or stands in for Hollande on formal occasions. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

French authorities say migrants attempting to board freight trains to Britain made at least 2,100 attempts in less than 24-hour period to enter Eurotunnel compound in Calais, France; local volunteers say there are more than 3,000 migrants in Calais, most from North Africa and Middle East, and number keeps growing. MORE

Jul. 25, 2015

Group of conservative French lawmakers visit Crimea, first visit by foreign delegation since region was annexed by Russia; Russian Pres Vladimir Putin has earned support of some right-wing factions across Europe; trip, called private initiative by group, is condemned by French government. MORE

Jul. 25, 2015

France's Constitutional Council strikes number of unconstitutional provisions from legislation granting broad new powers to country's intelligence service, clearing way for law to take effect; law allows French spying agencies to use phone taps, set up hidden cameras and carry out bulk analysis of metadata with little judicial oversight, drawing protests from rights groups. MORE

Jul. 23, 2015

United Nations deputy high commissioner for human rights Flavia Pansieri resigns for health reasons; Pansieri, most senior UN official informed about alleged sexual abuse of several Central African Republic boys by French peacekeepers, has been blasted for her inaction and mishandling of case. MORE

Jul. 19, 2015

Jul. 17, 2015

French officials have detained three men accused of planning a terrorist attack on an unidentified military base. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

French court sentences Mohamed Achamlane to nine years in prison for his work in heading up dismantled radical Islamic Forsane Alizza group, which had plotted attacks on kosher markets and other Jewish business in Paris; Achamlane was also accused of abducting and torturing Jewish judge in Lyon; other members of group are sentenced to up to six years in prison. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

French Defense Ministry reports theft of explosives from military base in south of France, despite heightened security following June terrorist attack on an American-owned chemical plant in Lyon; ministry says stolen explosives and detonators can be used to make a bomb. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Bondy Blog, based in Paris suburb of same name, has won attention for its efforts to give voice to groups underrepresented in mainstream French news, particularly immigrants living on margins of city; blog, created during 2005 riots, has gained notice of both mainstream news outlets and politicians. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

French Pres Francois Hollande rejects request by WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange for protection, which he made in open letter published on website of Le Monde. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

France's highest court rules that children born through surrogacy will be granted legal recognition, despite fact that practice will remain banned in country. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

Uber agrees to suspend its lowest-cost service UberPop in France until French Constitutional Court resolves case challenging legality of service in country. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

Strike by ferry employees in Europe is causing massive traffic jams that are giving migrants a chance to board trucks halted on roadways on French side of English Channel in efforts to smuggle themselves into Britain. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius introduces idea of new international group which would include Arab world members to spur Israeli-Palestinian peace talks; idea would be alternative to all-but-defunct Middle East quartet comprised of American, Russian, European Union and UN envoys and earlier proposal calling for UN Security Council involvement. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Police in Paris detain Uber executives Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty and Thibaud Simphal in connection with investigation into company's low-cost UberPop service, which allows customers to book rides at lower rates with nonprofessional drivers; French Parliament authorized Uber's main services, but made UberPop option illegal. MORE

Jun. 29, 2015

French officials report that Lyon resident Yassine Salhi sent picture of himself with severed head of his boss Herve Cornara to Canadian telephone number, raising worries that jihadists are operating in Canada; it is unclear whether Salhi, who is accused of beheading Cornara and then driving delivery truck into Air Products hangar so it would explode, had terrorist motive or was unstable. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Rotting skeletal frame of the Calypso, famed research vessel on which French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau logged over a million nautical miles, is testimony to the fading of his memory in France; nonprofit Cousteau Society had plans to restore the vessel after the explorer's death, but lawsuits and disputes have left it weathering away in a warehouse on the western coast of France. MORE

Jun. 28, 2015

Yassine Salhi, identified by French authorities as man who decapitated his boss before setting off explosion at American-owned chemical plant in Lyon, had joined group of radical Islamists and was on national list of potential security threats in 2006; apparent removal of his name from active watch list by 2008 underscores complexity of maintaining vigilance as number of identified potential terrorists continues to grow. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

Three terror attacks, perpetrated on three continents within three hours, seem to be linked only by purpose of causing substantial numbers of civilian deaths and timing of attacks, which some say indicate level of coordination; Islamic State is claiming responsibility for attacks on tourist beach in Tunisia and at mosque in Kuwait, while assailant behind assault on American-owned chemical plant in France remains unclear. MORE

Jun. 27, 2015

French officials identify Yassine Salhi as deliveryman who allegedly drove truck into chemical plant near Lyon, set off explosion and severed and mounted head of his boss on plant's gate; say Salhi has links to fundamentalist Islamic groups and was under surveillance until 2008. MORE

Jun. 26, 2015

French taxi drivers go on strike in Paris and block roads and attack drivers they believe to be working for Uber; French taxi associations oppose service, which currently is illegal in country, and strikes are meant to spur government to act against company. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

French government reacts with modulated response to information published by WikiLeaks and media groups that United States' National Security Agency spied on French presidents and other senior officials from 2016 to 2012. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

Thousands of French high school students sign petition on social media site protesting a question that appeared on national exam to earn high school degree; students contend use of words like 'coping,' English word that has no direct translation in French, made parts of test incomprehensible and unfair. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

WikiLeaks releases documents saying United States National Security Agency eavesdropped on last three French presidents, Francoise Hollande, Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Former Canadian Justice Marie Deschamps will lead independent panel investigating how United Nations handled inquiry into accusations that French peacekeepers sexually abused children in Central African Republic. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Israeli Prime Min Benjamin Netanyahu rejects French overtures concerning new start to Israeli-Palestinian peace process that would feature international support and United Nations Security Council resolution; argues that only direct negotiations will lead to peace. MORE

Jun. 20, 2015

Remarkable editorial published by French newspaper Le Monde on 200-year anniversary of Waterloo urges Great Britain to not exit European Union, signalling how troubling such an exit would be for other member countries. MORE

Jun. 20, 2015

French Foreign Min Laurent Fabius will visit Egypt, Jordan, Israel and West Bank as part of effort to encourage peace negotiations between Israel and Palestinians; government has not spoken of fact that trip will also offer Fabius opportunity to address issue of nuclear deal with Iran. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

Palestinian man Zuhair Mohammed Hassan Khalid al-Abbasi is arrested in Jordan on charges he participated in deadly 1982 anti-Semitic attack on Chez Jo Goldenberg restaurant in Paris, which killed six people. MORE

Jun. 14, 2015

Seth Kugel Frugal Traveler column observes that little-known region of Franche-Comte in France offers number of cheap and surprising cultural attractions. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

French court clears former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn of charges of aggravated pimping; case was rare instance of French public official having their personal life put in public view. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

French judge orders release of 6-year-old Sidonie Leoue, after girl was held for three days by airport police in Paris due to possible fake passport; case has sparked indignation in country even as debate over police treatment of undocumented migrants traveling into and through Europe is ongoing. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

France opens inquiry into Germanwings jet crash in March that killed all 150 people on board; appoints panel of judges to investigate whether airline or any individuals should bear responsibility for failing to adequately monitor psychological health of plane's co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who is believed to have deliberately crashed plane. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

French Prime Min Manuel Valls says he will pay state 2,500 euros, about $2,825, after incident in which he used government jet to fly to Champions League soccer final in Berlin, causing uproar among French citizens; French daily Le Monde estimates trip at 15,000 euros, or about $16,900. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

Belgium, after scrapping 2 euro coin to commemorate Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo due to France's objections, issues 2.50 euro coin using little-known European Union rule; coins can only be spent inside Belgium. MORE

Jun. 8, 2015

Russia is not only fighting a military war in Ukraine but an economic and political one as well; Kremlin seems intent on creating dissension within European Union in effort to waylay renewal of economic sanctions against it that are set to expire; French National Front leader Marine Le Pen has admitted taking $11.7 million loan from Kremlin-affiliated First Czech-Russian Bank in Moscow. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Car service Uber, which has triumphed over threats and bans in cities from New York to New Delhi, has met fierce resistance in France, where Parliament has passed law making service illegal; company has run up against France's long history of protecting workers from unfair competition, but some argue that Uber creates jobs. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Maureen Dowd Op-Ed column describes how French ambassador Gerard Araud is breaking mold of his office in numerous ways, focusing in particular on his pioneering bold form of social media diplomacy using Twitter. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

Christian L Wright travel article on journey to Basque Country of France, region with character unlike other parts of country; most travelers think of Spain when they hear about Basque Country, but three of the region's provinces are in France; tourists will find an elegant reserve that is distinctly different from the unmistakable joie de vivre of the separatists populating Spain's Basque Country. MORE

Jun. 6, 2015

Lufthansa says remains of 30 of 150 passengers who died in Germanwings plane crash in French Alps will be returned to relatives; announcement comes days after relatives of victims were told that death certificates issued by French authorities were invalid, which angered many of the families. MORE

Jun. 6, 2015

French Foreign Min Laurent Fabius says his government is firmly opposed to boycott of Israel after Orange, French telecommunications company that is partly state-owned, stated its intention to withdraw its brand from country; Orange chief executive Stephane Richard denies that withdrawal is related to so-called boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and says move is purely business decision. MORE

Jun. 5, 2015

Relatives of victims of Germanwings plane crash are infuriated over France's delay in releasing victims remains; government officials have found errors in victims' death certificates, making them invalid. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

French police clear out 380 migrants from camp in Paris and bulldoze their tents in effort to stop growing population of migrants arriving from mostly East African countries after crossing Mediterranean Sea. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

Paris removes hundreds of thousands of 'love locks' from Pont des Arts bridge; city officials considered sentimental value of padlocks, which had been attached over the years to bridge's grillwork by couples as sign of their love, but determined that they posed hazard to boats on Seine below as well as to historic bridge itself; estimated 45 tons of locks will be kept in storage pending decision on their fate. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Former French Pres Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative Union for a Popular Movement party rebrands itself as the Republicans, name whose nationalistic allusions show extent to which the far-right National Front party is influencing politics there; analysts say Sarkozy intends to co-opt some of appeal and policy positions of National Front in effort to draw right-wing voters. MORE

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General Information on France

Official Name: French Republic
Capital: Paris (Current local time)
Government Type: Republic
Population: 63.72 million
Area: 220,668 square miles; largest west European country, about four-fifths the size of Texas.
Languages: French, but some rapidly declining regional dialects and languages
Web site:Service-public.fr

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